Gamescom 2011 may have been overcrowded today, but not with people dressed as video game, anime and comic book characters. While European cosplayers did represent at Gamescom, they did so in the corners of the Cologne Messe.

There was some great stuff—a respectable Alice in the American McGee style, a quartet of very attractive BlazBlue fans, and one Link and Zelda pair that were just precious—and there were plenty of random dudes in Pikachu costumes. Maybe it was all just a little less memorable than Gamescom 2010—remember those two lady Links?—or maybe Gamescom needs to be more like Tokyo Game Show and dedicate some space to its cosplayers.